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Volume 31 August 2013
CONSULTING ECOLOGY
Newsletter of the Ecological Consultants Association of NSW
www.ecansw.org.au
ISSN 1836-6813
VOLUME 31 August 2013
INSIDE THIS ISSUE!
1 ECA Office Bearers 2012-2013
1 Message from the President
2 Euroky
3 Upcoming Events in 2013 - 2014
4 August 2013 ECA Membership Report
4 Recent Literature and New Publications
7 Photo Competition
8 The ECA Forum Summary
8 ECA Grass Identification Workshop
9 2012 ECA Conference and AGM
11 When Communication Is Essential: A Lesson in Workplace Safety
13 Is Amateur Hunting of Game and Feral Animals in NSW Illegal?
16 ‘No Amateur Hunting in National Parks’ Rally, Sydney
19 Postscript to the Hunting Issue
19 Smile for the Camera
20 ECA Photo Gallery: Photo Competition Entries
24 More on Lyme Disease
25 Pursuing a Career in Ecological Consultancy
32 From the Botany Desk: Allocasuarina simulans and Eucalyptus seeana
36 Advertising Opportunities with the ECA
36 Contributions to the Newsletter, Volume 32
Back cover ECA Photo Gallery: Photo Competition Entries
Editor: Jason Berrigan
Design and Layout: Amy Rowles
Front Cover Photo: Eastern
Brown Snake juvenile, Goulburn,
NSW. Photo Courtesy and
Copyright of Steve Sass.
Bob Brown (Bob Brown Foundation,
centre), Cate Faerhmann MLC (left)
and David Shoebridge MLC (right)
addressing the crowd. (see page 17)
A wedge-tailed eagle hoping for a part in the next Wolf Blass
advertisement (see page 22).
Mark Couston,
outgoing president
(left) and Deryk
Engel, secretary
(right) presenting at
the AGM (see page
9).
ECA Office Bearers 2012-2013 President:
Rhidian Harrington
1st Vice-President:
Mark Couston
2nd Vice-President:
Liz Norris
Secretary:
Deryk Engel
Treasurer:
Public Officer:
Paul Burcher
Web Master:
Stefan Rose
Councillors:
Judith Rawling
Toby Lambert
Rebecca Hogan
Belinda Pellow
Alison Hunt
Steve Sass
Matt Richardson
John Travers
Danny Wotherspoon
Adam Greenhalgh
Administration Assistant:
Membership Officer:
Amy Rowles
39 Platt St, Waratah, NSW, 2298
Newsletter Editor:
Jason Berrigan
Message from the President August 2013
Dear members,
During the AGM in Leura in August, which was a great success, a
new council was elected, including myself as the new president. I
am replacing Mark Couston who I would like to thank sincerely
for the excellent job he has done for the last three years as the head
of the ECA. I would also like to thank Paul Burcher (treasurer) and
Deryk Engel (secretary) who have yet again put their hands up to
take significant roles within the council. Thanks also to the
continuing and new council members, your efforts are greatly
appreciated.
As the new president I would like to see greater interaction
between our members. There is great opportunity to come together
as ecological consultants and share ideas and knowledge, and as
the ECA council, understand from you our members how the ECA
could serve you better. Running an ecological consultancy with a
dispersed business model I understand the importance of
maintaining interaction between our team, and in trying to achieve
this we have discovered some great tools. We live in the virtual age
of information, and as a group of likeminded professionals
working remotely from each other we should be using that
technology to serve us better. Although we live in a competitive
market we don't need to be adversarial, but rather, we should be
coming together as a community of ecologists to share knowledge
and strive for excellence in our industry. Through the
implementation of file sharing and online forums I hope to bring
the ECA community closer together.
Aside from looking at ways of innovating our communications and
knowledge sharing, we will continue to provide our members with
our traditional services such as training courses, the Consulting
Ecology newsletter and the annual conference. We will also work
hard to finalise the good work of Martin Denny and Mark
Couston, and many others, by finalising the Certification scheme. I
believe the scheme is extremely important as it will guide
ecological consultants in the technical and ethical expectations of
the industry and highlight to the outside world that we are serious
about improving the quality, independence and ethicacy of NSW's
ecological consultants. A number of you raised concerns about the
costs and professional development requirements and the
Certification Committee will review these to ensure the scheme is
as equitable and accessible as possible.
Thank you all for your continued support of the ECA, I look
forward to working with you all to develop new ways of serving
you better.
Rhidian Harrington
2
KOALA CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Tom Pollard
Geolink
These photos are of a male koala inspecting the bait at
a camera trap in wet sclerophyll forest at Larnook
near Kyogle. The bait was a standard mammal mix of
rolled oats, peanut butter and honey and the time of
day was approximately 1:30 pm in the afternoon. I
think the Koala was just inquisitive. The log that the
bait is set up on is covered in a thick moss, and does
not appear to have any evidence that it is used as a
regular runway. He didn't hang around very long,
and hasn't returned since!
OSPREY CHICK UPDATE
Judie Rawling
UBM and ECA Councillor
Some of you may be interested in the follow up to the
recent storey on the Osprey Breeding Program in
Scotland (Consulting Ecology Volume 30). The osprey
chick has now been banded, measured and fitted with a
satellite device. It is huge! Great photos available on
the Scottish wildlife trust blog @ http://
blogs.scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/osprey/
A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO NEST
BOXES?
Photo provided by Dr Stephen Ambrose.
EUROKY Euroky: ability of an organism to adapt to changes in the environment
If you have any interesting observations or
useful hints and information that you would like
to share in the euroky column, please forward
them to the newsletter editor or administration
assistant to be included in the next edition.
3
Upcoming Events in 2013 / 2014
ECA Events
PROPOSED ECA WORKSHOPS
2013 / 2014
Shorebirds
Terrestrial Orchids (Spring 2013)
Rainforest Plant ID
Business Development and Practices
Workshop
The dates and venues for these workshops are yet
to be determined. You may register your interest in
any of these workshops by emailing
Non - ECA Events
Annual forum of the Royal Zoological Society
of NSW.
Date: Saturday 2nd November 2013, 9am-5pm.
Venue: Australian Museum
Theme: Dangerous Ideas in Zoology
Details: www.rzsnsw.org.au
Australian Wind Energy Conference 2013
Date: 18-19th November
Venue: Hotel Grand Chancellor, Adelaide
Theme: The post election review for the outlook for
the industry and key drivers in 2014
Cost: $2964.50
Niche Environment & Heritage are once again offering the chance for you to participate in their unique and interesting Wildli fe Schools in 2013 and to be trained in the survey, identification and management of the fauna and flora of southeastern Australia. Emphasis is placed on time in the field to gain maximum experience in survey procedures and to view habitats from the perspective of the wildlife that live in it. The courses concentrate on species listed under both the TSC and EPBC acts, providing the latest research information on their specific requirements. Our teaching staff are experts in their fields. All our courses are run by recognised professionals with many years of experience studying the target groups - Dr Frank Lemckert; Dr Rod Kavanagh; Dr Bradley Law; Dr Trent Penman; Dr Mark Fitzgerald; Dr Marion Anstis. Niche are taking registrations now for the following courses:-
Tadpole ID & Survey - 28th to 29th October Crommelin Field Station, Pearl Beach. Cost $750 ex gst, registrations close 11 Oct.
Advanced Frog, Bat & Reptile Survey ID & Management - 12th to 15th November Cascade Field Studies Centre, Dorrigo. Cost $1,400 ex gst, registrations close 23 Oct.
Cost includes all meals and accommodation. Travel costs are not included and travel arrangements are the responsibility of the participant. For further information on individual courses and registration forms, please contact Deretta Brown on email
2013 Wildlife Schools
4
EcoTas13: 5th joint Conference of the Ecological
Society of Australia and New Zealand
Ecological Society .
Date: 24th -29th November 2013
Venue: The Aotea Centre, Auckland
Theme: Celebrating ecology on both sides of the
Tasman: diversity and opportunity
Cost: $225 - $875 ($NZ, depending on membership
status and number of days)
Details: ecotas13.org
Contact:[email protected]
August 2013 ECA Membership Report
Amy Rowles
ECA administrative assistant
In total we have 167 members. We have had seven
new members and five current applicants over the
last six months. The new members are introduced
below:
Chelsea Hankin
Sarah Warner
Feach Moyle
Malith Weerakoon
Linda Sass
Ed Cooper
Kurtis Lindsay
NEW MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES!
A revision of the ECA membership categories took
effect as of the 2013 AGM held on the 2nd of August.
The following summarises the new category system
and full details are available on the website.
Full Member (voting rights)
Practising Ecological Consultant
Certified Practising Ecological Consultant (to
be activated when Certification Scheme is
adopted)
Associate Membership (no voting rights)
Associate Ecological Consultant (new to
industry unable to provide referees or examples of
work)
Government Ecological / Environment
Officer
Non-practicing Member
Subscriber
Student Membership (no voting rights)
Those members who are currently practising
(regional) and Associate members will be
automatically moved into the Practising Ecological
Consultant, assuming that all criteria are met. Those
who are currently non-practising and subscriber will
be moved into the Associate Membership category
and placed in the appropriate sub-category. This will
take effect in December when renewals for 2014 are
issued.
All new applications submitted from the 2nd of
August 2013 will be assessed using the new category
system. Current fee structure is $200 for Full
Membership (Practising Ecological Consultant), $60
for Associate Membership and $30 for Student
Membership.
Recent Literature and New
Publications
Recent Journal Articles / Literature
Predavec M. (2008) How to Suceed in Business -
Zoology in the Private Sector. Australian Zoologist
Vol 34 (4). http://www.rzsnsw.org.au/index.php?/
Journals/Australian-Zoologist/australian-zoologist-
database.html
Schumann N., Dann P. and Arnould J. (2013) Use of
terrestrial habitats by burrow-nesting seabirds in
south-eastern Australia. Emu V113 (2): 135-144.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU12088
5
Stevens H. and Watson D. (2013) Reduced rainfall
explains avian declines in an unfragmented
landscape: incremental steps toward an empty forest?
Emu 113(2):112-121
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU12063
Schoenjahn J. (2013) A hot environment and one type
of prey: investigating why the Grey Falcon (Falco
hypoleucos) is Australia’s rarest falcon.
Emu 113(1): 19-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU12049
MacGregor C. , Wood J., Dexter N. and Lindenmayer
D. (2013). Home range size and use by the long-nosed
bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) following fire Australian
Mammalogy - http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AM12032
Fancourt B., Hawkins C. and Nicol S. (2013). Evidence
of rapid population decline of the eastern quoll
(Dasyurus viverrinus) in Tasmania Australian
Mammalogy - http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AM13004
Glen A. and Dickman C. (2013) Population viability
analysis shows spotted-tailed quolls may be
vulnerable to competition. Australian Mammalogy -
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AM12045
Moore T. et al., (2013). Do woodland birds prefer to
forage in healthy Eucalyptus wandoo trees? Australian
Journal of Zoology 61(3): 187-195 http://
dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO13045
Smith A. et al., (2013). Are there habitat thresholds in
koala occupancy in the semiarid landscapes of the
Mulgalands Bioregion? Wildlife Research - http://
dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR13010
Allan B. et al., (2013). A cost-effective and informative
method of GPS tracking wildlife. Wildlife Research -
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR13069
McConville A., Law B. and Mahony M. (2013).
Mangroves as maternity roosts for a colony of the
rare east-coast free-tailed bat (Mormopterus
norfolkensis) in south-eastern Australia. Wildlife
Research 40(4): 318-327 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/
WR12222.
Burrows G. (2013). Buds, bushfires and resprouting
in the eucalypts. Australian Journal of Botany 61(5):
331-349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/BT13072
Lintermans M. (2013). A review of on-ground
recovery actions for threatened freshwater fish in
Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research 64(9): 775-
791 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF12306
Pickup M. et al., (2013). Post-fire recovery of
revegetated woodland communities in south-
eastern Australia. Austral Ecology V 38 (3) ; 300-312.
Lee K. et al., (2013). Anthropogenic changes to the
landscape resulted in colonization of koalas in
north-east New South Wales, Australia. Austral
Ecology V 38 (3) ; 355-363.
Peacock R., Downing A., Brownsey P. and
Cameron D. (2013). Distribution, habitat
preferences and population sizes of two threatened
tree ferns, Cyathea
cunninghamii and Cyathea x marcescens, in south-
eastern Australia.
Cunninghamia V13(1):1-24
Armstrong R., Turner K., McDougall K., Rehwinkel
R. and Crooks J. (2013).
Plant communities of the upper Murrumbidgee
catchment in New South Wales and the Australian
Capital Territory.
Cunninghamia V13(1): 125-265.
6
Recent Book Releases
Information Source: CSIRO Publishing
Website http://www.publish.csiro.au
Title: Best 100 Birdwatching Sites in Australia
Author: Sue Taylor
RRP: $39.99
No. Pages:256
Publisher: NewSouth Publishing
Date: October 2013
Title: Australian Bird Names: A
Complete Guide
Author: I. Fraser and J. Gray
RRP: $49.95
No. Pages:352
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: May 2013
Title: Living Waters: Ecology of Animals in Swamps,
Rivers, Lakes and Dams.
Author: N. Romanowski
RRP: $39.95
No. Pages:304
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: October 2013
Title: A Tribute to Des Cooper:
Australian Journal of Zoology
Special Issue.
Author: Ed. C. Herbert and K.
Belov.
RRP: $75.00
No. Pages:108
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: July 2013
Title: Australian Beetles Volume
1: Morphology, Classification and
keys
Author: J. Lawrence and A.
Slipinski
RRP: $195
No. Pages:576
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: September 2013
Title: Butterflies: Identification
and life history
Author: R. Field
RRP: $29.95
No. Pages:312
Publisher: Museum Victoria
Date: July 2013
Title: Flying Foxes:
Australian Night Foresters
Author: V. Jones
RRP: $39.95
No. Pages:192
Publisher: Rosenberg
Publishing
Date: September 2013
Title: Ecology of Australian
Temperate Reefs: The Unique
South
Author: S. Shepherd and G. Edgar
RRP: $130.00
No. Pages:520
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: October 2013
Title: A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia
Author: S. Wilson and G. Swan
RRP: $49.95
No. Pages:592
Publisher: New Holland
Date: July 2013
Title: Biodiversity and Environmental Change
Author: D. Lindenmayer , E. Burns, N. Thurgate and A.
Lowe.
RRP: $120.00
No. Pages:624
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: January 2014
Title: Social and Economic Benefits of Protected Areas: An
Assessment Guide
Author: M. Kettunen and P. Brink
RRP: $76.00
No. Pages:368
Publisher: Earthscan from Routledge
Date: September 2013
7
Title: A Traveller’s Flora: A Guide to Familiar Plants,
Along Roadsides, in Fields and Forgotten Places
Author: B. Auld
RRP: $29.95
No. Pages:180
Publisher: Samara
Date: June 2013
Title: Flora of Australia Volume 26: Meliaceae, Rutaceae
and Zygophyllaceae
Author: Australian Biological Resources Study
RRP: $130 paperback, $170 hardback
No. Pages: 640
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing and ABRS
Date: June 2013
If you have 2nd hand ecological equipment that you would like
to sell or would like to purchase you can place an ad in this
newsletter. Free for members or $40 for non-members.
Contact [email protected].
PHOTOPHOTO
COMPETITIONCOMPETITION Congratulations! to Steve Sass for winning
the last photo competition with his
photograph featured on the front cover of a
juvenile Eastern Brown Snake at Goulburn,
NSW.
Thank you to everyone who entered our
photo competition. All entries have been
included in the ECA Photo Gallery on the
back cover and central pages of the
newsletter.
Email your favourite flora or fauna photo to
[email protected] to enter a competition
and have your photo on the cover of the next
ECA newsletter. Win your choice of one year
free membership or free entry into the next
ECA annual conference. The winner will be
selected by the ECA council. Runners up will
be printed in the photo gallery
Photos entered in the competition may also be
used on the ECA website
“Non-ECA promotional material presented in the ECA Newsletter does not necessarily represent the views of the
ECA or its members.”
8
The ECA Forum Summary
Compiled by Amy Rowles
The ECA Forum on the ECA’s website is one of the many privileges
of membership, and is intended:
To encourage discourse within the membership.
To enable a forum for members to raise issues that affect members,
the industry and the ecologist.
To provide a venue for depositing information eg anecdotal
sightings, interpretation of legislation, etc.
To inform members of changes to legislation, upcoming events,
draft reports, etc on public exhibition.
To reduce some of the email generated by in-house chat within the
membership.
To provide a means of archiving information shared within the
membership for future reference.
The Forum aims to feature a range of issues from legal to anecdotal,
comments and questions by some members seeking some clarity on
some issues or assistance in a work-related matter or some hotly
debated issues.
See the forum at www.ecansw.org.au .
Recent activity on the forum has been very slow with
only one comment added since the last newsletter.
Danny Wotherspoon commented that the ECA
conference at Fairmont, Leura, was excellent, so thank
you to the convenor team. A question not adequately
answered was about professional conflict of interest in
providing offsets. There is potential for a consultant to
have an undisclosed financial interest in a ‘third party’
provider of offset land. Item 38 (c) of the ECA Code of
Ethics precludes that.
ECA Grass Identification Workshop
Paul Burcher
Aquila Ecological Surveys and ECA Treasurer
Nineteen people, including seven ECA members,
attended our “Grass Identification Workshop” at the
Bowden Centre, The Australian Botanic Garden,
Mount Annan on the 13th and 14th of June. The
workshop was run by Van Klaphake, who used his
Guide to the Grasses of Sydney, which covers 171
native and introduced species that occur within the
Central Coast botanical region.
As with the eucalypt workshop Van ran for us, Van
magically provided a plethora of fresh specimens from
the simple conveyance of his motorbike. After a brief
introduction we got down to the serious business of
identifying these Poaceous puzzles aided by nothing
more than a hand lens to enlarge their components.
Participants who may have been ‘glumey’ about their
ability to negotiate this often tricky taxon soon found
the process wasn’t ‘awnful ‘and their interest was
spiked by Van’s intuitive guide which left no ‘di-
lemmas’ as to the identities of the specimens
provided.
After lunch on the second day, the group had a
wander around the restored woodland adjacent to
the venue where around 15 grass species were
identified. Apart from a plethora of thanks to Van
(an ‘auricle’ who is not ‘callus’), thanks also go to
Scott Andrew from the ABG who organised the
venue and provided assistance throughout.
Van checks that Fiona Iolini isn’t in a panic over a grass
identification.
Heads down in the classroom as Van (far right) tackles a
curly question.
9
ECA Conference ‘Offsets:
determination, assessment and
management’
Amy Rowles
ECA Administrative Assistant and Ecotone Ecological
Consultants
The 2013 ECA annual conference was held at Leura in
the Blue Mountains on Friday the 2nd of August. The
day was attended by 107 delegates who enjoyed the
presentations given by the 10 guest speakers on a
range of ‘offset’ topics.
The outgoing president Mark Couston began the day
with a welcome and introduction with past president
Stephen Ambrose closing the conference. The Annual
General Meeting was held at 12pm, and of course the
day was punctuated with a delicious morning tea,
lunch and afternoon tea. A relaxed conference dinner
was held at the Station Bar and Wood-fired Pizza at
Katoomba, attended by thirty of the conference
delegates.
Martin Fallding of Land & Environment Planning gave
the Keynote Address, giving an overview of
biodiversity offsets. Martin ran through the evolution
of offsets and highlighted the following key
biodiversity offset principles:
offsets should only be used when alternatives to
avoid or mitigate are not feasible;
sound ecological studies must be undertaken;
the offset must achieve benefits in perpetuity;
offsetting must result in net gain in both native
vegetation area and biodiversity values; and,
the offset must be enforceable.
Martin summarised that offsets are beneficial by:
placing an economic value on biodiversity;
being better than what has happened in the past;
facilitating better conservation and development
outcomes;
standardising methods for assessing and
quantifying biodiversity impacts;
only being used as a last resort option.
However offsets also allow for the following negatives:
acceptance of loss for uncertain gain;
many offset areas are already protected;
allow development approval;
not based on scientific evidence;
time lags between losses and gains;
unproven assumptions about improved land
management and rehabilitation; and,
add to development and social costs.
Martin highlighted the key issues of:
1) determining when offsets will apply;
2) calculating quantum of offsets; and,
3) establishing an appropriate method of offset
transfer and governance.
This keynote presentation concluded with future
directions for Biodiversity Offsets, including the issue
of insufficient land available for offsets in suitable
locations.
Feach Moyle discussed the determination, assessment
and management of environmental offsets under the
EPBC Act. Feach gave a history of the EPBC Act offset
policy, which was finalised in October 2012. Offsets are
only to be considered after a proposed action has been
determined and all efforts have been made to avoid
and mitigate the impact, with the residual impact to be
offset. Offsets must improve or maintain the viability
of the target to be protected. Feach ran through the
Offsets assessment guide, including the impact and
offsets calculators, threatened species habitat quality
and risk of loss. Feach concluded with a discussion on
offset management.
Session 2 addressed the establishment, funding and
management of offsets. Josie Stokes from Roads and
Maritime Services explained the RMS offsets policy,
giving some examples. Josie explained that although
the Biobanking scheme could be beneficial to RMS,
there were major issues with applying the scheme to
such projects (i.e. linear shape of the developments
resulting in a large variety of habitats and species
encountered) and inconsistencies between state and
federal regulators. Josie presented the RMS Guideline
for Biodiversity Offsets (November 2011). RMS has offset
4720ha of land in NSW to date and Josie explained how
this information is electronically displayed externally
10
and internally on internet and intranet registers. Josie
finished up with a summary of future directions and
challenges for offsetting.
Robbie Economos from Lake Macquarie City Council
gave a summary of the LMCC offset policy, using
examples and highlighted the many funding and
management challenges that face council where offsets
are concerned. Council do not have the funds to
manage lands that are given to them as offsets,
however offsets left in private ownership are under
continued development pressure, with enforcement
and management problematic. Current legal
mechanisms are not good enough to cope with the
range of circumstances and Biobanking does not seem
to be a popular choice for determining offsets in the
LMCC. Robbie also discussed how consultants are
able to assist council in making decisions about
suitable offsets including:
producing quality management plans with
measurable outcomes; providing realistic
management costings; providing data and
maps digitally;
sharing information with council (as good
vegetation mapping and flora and fauna data
assist in locating offset sites);
providing sound advice about avoiding and
mitigating before offsetting;
assisting in matching development with offset sites;
and,
addressing some of the ethical issues (i.e. whether
an existing reserve should be used as an offset
site).
Derek Stellar discussed the OEH Growth Centres
Offsets Program and Linking Landscapes. The Growth
Centres Offsets Program aims to protect some of the
best remaining bushland in Western Sydney and the
surrounding region, providing offsets for Growth
Centres Biodiversity Certification and Strategic
Assessment Program, as well as Edmondson Park
Conservation Agreement. The offset program involves
OEH seeking suitable offsets on land in the
Cumberland Plain; and purchasing land to create new
reserves, conservation agreements, and biodiversity
credits; as well as developing management and
funding plans. Funding of $397.5m from developers
and the government is to be spent over 30+ years.
Derek highlighted that OEH prefer using the
Biobanking scheme for offsetting as it is more secure
legally and financially. Derek illustrated the six
investments that the program has secured, including
Wianamatta Nature Reserve. This scheme has to date
protected 398.5ha of vegetation, whilst 64.5ha of
vegetation has been cleared in the growth areas for
development in the same time period. The Linking
Landscapes Program aims to identify corridors in the
Sydney Basin Bioregion, linking them to funding
options, such as Biobanking, with the result of
protecting these corridors.
Section 3 included a collection of presentations
discussing offsets from a scientific and consultant
perspective. Rob Humphries from Eco Logical
Australia discussed the Biobanking scheme, what isn’t
working, and how we can make offsets work better.
Rob began with a brief history of biodiversity offsets
and relevant legislation. Rob encouraged delegates to
make greater use of the Biobanking tools and registers
available.
David Nicholson from ERM presented on the EPBC
Act Environmental Policy. David discussed the scope
of the policy and gave a brief outline about the process
of determining offsets. Following this he presented an
example of implementing an offset strategy prior to the
new EPBC Offset strategy to protect and manage
Darwinia biflora at a Lindfield site. The developer had
to cover a range of costs and several legal agreements
including covenants placed on land in the Hornsby
LGA and a community association set up. The new
EPBC Act Policy will allow more certainty over
defining the quantum of impact, a flexible approach to
offsetting and a clearer understanding of offset
requirements. However constraints include high costs
and lack of alignment with State assessments. David
finished his presentation by outlining the key points of
the new EPBC Act Offset Strategy.
Dr Richard Thackway presented his work on Tracking
the Transformation of Vegetated Landscapes and how
this can be applied to offset schemes. Richard used
Cumberland State Forest as a Case Study to illustrate
his model.
11
Martin Denny gave a practical example of monitoring
an offset site and highlighted that this long term
monitoring is necessary on offset areas. This is
particularly important for areas which are being
rehabilitated, to investigate whether management is
required.
Elizabeth Ashby began with a brief history of
biodiversity impacts, followed by some examples of
offset areas in a more urban environment and
discussed whether they can be effectively implemented
to achieve the desired results. The examples Liz gave
illustrated the lack of security of offset sites left in the
ownership of the developer. These examples had
adequate offsets set aside and good management plans
developed. However, as the developer went bankrupt
after the development site was cleared, there were no
funds available to manage the offset sites. Therefore
the project resulted in a negative offset result. Liz also
highlighted that long term monitoring of offset sites is
essential. Funding must be available to that site if
monitoring illustrates that more management is
required.
The presenters were then asked to join John Travers to
take part in a discussion forum, taking questions from
the floor. John began with the first question “Should
offsetting be a decision by local council or should it be
left to OEH?”. Responses included that OEH should
deal with the larger areas as they can address the
bigger picture, whereas local councils are unable to go
outside their LGA boundary. Councils have the local
knowledge to deal with the smaller areas, however
they are very restricted with funding. It was suggested
that a third party to manage offsets would be ideal,
provided that there is a sufficient legislation and
compliance strategy in place. Several other questions
provided valuable discussion, which given the
opportunity, could have continued for quite some
time.
Thankyou to everyone who organised and attended
the conference and we look forward to seeing you all at
the 2014 ECA Conference.
Above: Conference Room. Below: Mark Couston,
outgoing President (left) and Deryk Engel, Secretary
(right) presenting at the AGM.
When Communication Is Essential: A
Lesson in Workplace Safety Jason Berrigan
Darkheart Eco-Consultancy and Consulting Ecology Editor
Black Friday and its associated superstitions these days,
is generally dismissed by the modern educated person.
Most of us simply don’t take care not to step on a crack,
or avoid black cats. Unfortunately for me, Friday 13th of
September was very unlucky, as it became my first
workplace accident, which should have been avoided by
adequate communication.
Now I’ll bet you've seen a few cartoons or kids movies
over the years where some character is chased by a
swarm of bees and they jump into a pond/dam/river to
escape them. I can tell you from personal experience,
(Continued on page 12)
12
that (a) it can happen and (b) water is a good escape route.
I was supervising removal of some habitat trees on a major project last week, and working with a bulldozer operator
who was doing the tree felling. In my role on this project, I also do the morning pre-clear survey of the area to be
cleared. This occurs at 6:30am, and hence my attendance at mandatory toolbox talks are brief (ie sign on and hear
first 5 minutes), then I’m off.
As a result, I (and a foreman in charge of me who accompanies me on the pre-clear) missed the discussion about one of
the habitat trees having a feral bee hive, and that this tree would be felled at dusk for obvious reasons. I knew of a
native bee hive, which by chance, was located about 10m away from the former. The foreman asks me to supervise the
removal of a number of habitat trees, which of course, includes the bee tree (unbeknownst to both of us) which has been
marked as a habitat tree (apparently it had several hollows). He leaves me to do the job.
The bulldozer operator about an hour before the incident asks me what to do with the bee hive. I (ignorantly) assume
he refers to the native bee hive that I saw. In my head I think “Funny that he knows about that hive”, and I advise him
that it would be nice to push it to the edge and possibly relocate it. I don’t appreciate the funny look he gives me.
Hence we proceed to knock over the habitat trees. I’m relieved to find nothing in all but one hollow (no fatalities is
always pleasing) where a very angry female brushtail possum and her young let me know how she feels about the loss of
her home. Then we come to the ‘bee tree’. Neither the dozer operator nor myself bring up the bee hive question again.
Down it goes, and as it is a virtual drought here, the crash generates a dust cloud like an Arabian sand storm which I
wade into to see if anything is in the hollows now shattered over the ground.
As the dust clears and I pass the head of the tree, I note a strong formic acid smell and think to myself “must be a big
ant nest in this tree”. I note a small cloud of insects and assume it’s the native bees. Then they start buzzing around
me, and I think “wow, they’re really annoyed for native bees” as I begin to fill out my datasheet and prepare to inspect
hollows.
Then one lands in my hair around my forehead - and there's no mistaking that angry sound. I realise to my horror
that it’s a feral European bee hive, and I’m instantaneously surrounded by buzzing angry bees. I’m in big trouble.
I burst into a sprint and the adrenaline hits and I'm running like the Usain Bolt. But it’s no use. I'm literally swarmed
within about 30m. They're in my hair and I'm roaring in pain and anger as I'm stung over and over on my neck, hand
and forehead.
I have to escape and FAST, or I’m really going to be in big trouble. I remember a dam located up the slope about 70m.
Unfortunately, there's a windrow (line of fallen timber about 2m high and about 4m wide) between the dam and me. I
desperately scramble over it, and that’s when the entire swarm reaches me. I have sunglasses on, but I can barely see
my feet. This is when I get most of my stings. It’s a horrible realisation when you’re trapped with no escape.
I make it to the dam - roar at the spotter (safety supervisor who has no idea what's happening yet – thinks someone’s
been hit by a tree) "FIRST AID!!" and dive in. As I've been running with my mouth open, I get a mouthful of stagnant
dam water. I lift my head up to spit it out and breathe. The dozens of bees stuck in my hair buzz angrily as they
continue to crawl to my scalp and hit paydirt.
The swarm is still above me, and more bees land on me as the spotter screams "get down! get down!" I dive to the
bottom of this shallow dam and count to 30.
(Continued from page 11)
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13
Is Amateur Hunting of Game and Feral
Animals in NSW Illegal?
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Ambrose Ecological Services Pty Ltd
As ecological consultants working in NSW, we are
required to have (among other things) an Animal
Ethics Permit from the Animal Ethics Committee
(AEC) of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
This is because we conduct animal research and there
is a legal obligation under the NSW Animal Research
Act 1985 (AR Act) to, where possible, avoid undue
stress, injury and/or death to individual animals
during the course of our research. Similar legislation
occurs in other states and territories. An Animal Ethics
Committee will only issue a permit if it is satisfied that:
this legal obligation can be met by a researcher: and
in the event of undue stress and injury to an animal,
the researcher takes the best possible action to
alleviate the animal’s suffering.
There is further legal obligation for the researcher to
report to the AEC annually, or at the conclusion of the
research project, on incidences of undue stress, injury
or death to individual animals that occurred as a result
of the research, and what procedures were followed
when these incidences occurred.
The NSW Government justified the introduction of
amateur hunting in 79 national parks and nature
reserves in NSW on the grounds that it is likely to be
an effective means of controlling feral animal
populations in these conservation areas. To measure
the effectiveness of this approach, there would be a
need to conduct surveys of feral animal populations
before and after the introduction of amateur hunting.
Therefore, it could be argued that amateur hunting of
feral animal populations is an “experimental
treatment” in an animal research project, and the
before and after feral animal surveys would be
examining the effects of applying that experimental
treatment. So, from a legal perspective, can amateur
hunting be regarded as “animal research” and, if so, is
there a legal requirement for amateur hunting to be
under the jurisdiction of an AEC? I put this question to
Kirsty Ruddock, Principal Solicitor of the
Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) recently, and
here is her response:
24th April 2013
Dear Stephen,
Re: Advice on Shooting in National Parks and
Permits under Animal Research Act 1985.
We refer to your request for advice on 12th April 2013. You
have requested advice on whether permits for shooting in
national parks are subject to the Animal Research Act
1985 which applies to ecologists.
Summary of Advice
Hunting in national parks in accordance with permits issued
by the Game Council in the broader context of testing
effectiveness of shooting as a method of feral animal control
may fall within the definition of ‘animal research’ under the
Animal Research Act 1985 (NSW) (“AR Act”). This is
potentially significant in light of criminal offence created by
s47 of the AR Act for harming animals without an
appropriate animal research authority. However, taking
enforcement action would be difficult due to the criminal
provisions and the factual circumstances surrounding the
hunting and whether in each case it satisfies the definition of
“animal research”.
Background
Ecologists and other experts who are involved in animal
research are required to have an Animal Research Authority
under the AR Act. This is because their research activities
have the potential to impact on the welfare of individual
animals. A researcher requires approval from an appointed
Animal Ethics Committee (“AEC”) for each research
activity. AEC approval is required for activities such as bird
surveys to camera surveillance, animal trapping, handling,
tagging and release programs.
You believe that the hunting of animals by shooting in
national parks falls within the definition of “animal
research” as set out in s3 of the AR Act, and should
therefore have research approval from the AEC. In
particular, you argue that the recreational hunting program
is an experiment aimed at testing the effectiveness of the
program in controlling numbers of feral animals in NSW
national parks and reserves, further defining its animal
research.
Legislation
Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002 (NSW)
The primary objective of the Game and Feral Animal Control
Act 2002 (NSW) (“GFAC Act”) under Section 3(a) is to
provide for the effective management of introduced species
of game animals. This necessarily requires the Game
Council as the administering body to undertake research to
14
ascertain effectiveness in feral animal population control.
Further, Section 9 of the GFAC Act confers powers on the
Game Council to perform the following functions:
9 Functions of the Game Council
(1) The Game Council has the following functions:
…....
(f) to promote or fund research into game and feral
animal control issues,
(f2) to promote or fund research into issues regarding
animals that interact with game animals.
This supports your view that hunting and shooting in
national parks falls within the definition of ‘animal
research’. The Game Council, under broad powers
conferred upon it by section 22 of the GFAC Act, requires
hunters operating under the licensing system to report kill
data to the Council for research purposes. This strengthens
the argument that the Game Council is operating as a
research establishment.
Viewing hunting activities as a research project is further
supported by the existence of the Game Council Scientific
and Research Committee which oversees collation of hunting
data amongst other things (from the Game Council of NSW
Annual Report 2011/2012).
Animal Research Act 1985 (NSW)
“Animal research” as defined by Section 3 of the AR Act,
means “any procedure, test, experiment, inquiry,
investigation or study in connection with which an animal is
used and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
includes any procedure, test, experiment, inquiry,
investigation or the study in the course of which:
(a) an animal is subjected to:
(i) surgical, medical, psychological, biological,
chemical or physical treatment, or
(ii) abnormal conditions of heat, cold, light, dark,
confinement, noise, isolation or
overcrowding, or
(iii) abnormal dietary conditions, or
(iv) electric shock or radiation treatment, or
(b) any material or substance is extracted or derived
from the body of an animal, but does not include any
procedure, test, experiment, inquiry, investigation or
study which is carried out in the course of:
(c) the administration of veterinary treatment to an
animal for the purpose of protecting the welfare of
the animal, or
(d) the conduct of normal animal husbandry operations.”
The wording of this definitional section is broad but in some
aspects also limited by the words used in the section. You
would need to show that hunting in national parks is
subjecting any animal to “physical treatment” through
shooting it. The contrary argument may be that the AR Act
is not intended to cover circumstances where animals are
killed, as it does not expressly include those terms.
However, we believe there may be another argument that
because native animals sharing the habitat will be subjected
to noise and possibly psychological impacts from the hunting
it is within the definition.
However, you need to be aware that to some extent the need
for approval under the AR Act may turn on the particular
facts of hunting in question in each case. In relation to
subsection (b), it is our understanding that the licensed
hunters also collect certain specimens for research conducted
by other agencies (Game Council of NSW Annual Report
2011/2012 - samples were being taken from wild pigs shot by
recreational hunters for the purpose of disease research). This
lends further support to the argument that hunting in
national parks can be defined as “animal research”.
If hunting in national parks under permits authorised by the
Game Council falls within the definition of ‘animal research’
for the purposes of the AR Act, then hunting without an
Animal Research Authority may be in contravention of s47
of the AR Act which states:
47 Unlawfully carrying out animal research
(1) An individual shall not carry out animal research
unless the individual is the holder of an animal
research authority.
Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units or
imprisonment for 12 month, or both.
(2) The holder of an animal research authority shall
not carry out animal research:
(a) otherwise than as authorised by the authority, or
(b) Otherwise than with the approval, and in
accordance with the directions, of the animal care
and ethics committee specified in the authority.
Maximum penalty: 30 penalty points or
imprisonment for 12 months, or both.
This is potentially significant as section 47 of the AR Act
creates a criminal offence and individuals hunting not in
accordance with animal research authorities could be
imprisoned.
Section 15(4) of the GFAC Act provides that a game hunting
licence does not authorise the holder of the licence to
contravene any prohibition or restriction imposed by or
under any Act or statutory instrument. This would seem to
indicate that hunting with a Game Council-issued permit
does not prevent the hunter being liable under any other act
[except offences under the National Parks and Wildlife Act
1974 (s6A GFAC Act)] which could include offences under
the AR Act.
15
For a person to be found liable under section 47 of the AR
Act is not straightforward however as section 47 is a
criminal offence and the prosecution must prove the guilt of
the individual beyond reasonable doubt. This is a high
threshold and there could be reasonable arguments that the
hunting is not research. However we still think there could
be an argument, depending on the facts of the hunting in
each particular case, that they need AR Act approval. You
should however be aware though that it would not be
difficult to amend the GFAC Act to remove the need for AR
Act approval.
Animal Ethics Committees
You have raised the question that if hunting in national
parks can be considered animal research, can an AEC oversee
the granting of authorities and supervision of research
activities?
The Game Council as a statutory corporation created by
section 7 of the GFAC Act is capable of becoming an
accredited research establishment under the AR Act. An
AEC can be created under section 13 of the AR Act for the
purpose of granting approval to the primary researcher
within the Game Council to issue permits and assess the
suitability of applicants. Alternatively, the Game Council
could seek approval from, and be supervised by, the
Department of Primary Industries default AEC.
An AEC has the power to demand research data to review
research activities to assess effectiveness and compliance, the
results of which are reported to the Animal Research Panel.
The research conducted by the Game Council therefore
would be reported to the Panel and would be reviewed
alongside all other animal research projects. This would
bring research undertaken in the context of feral animal
population control under the same umbrella as other animal
research.
Another method through which the Game Council can be
required to be compliant with the AR Act is through Section
9(e) of the GFAC, which requires the Game Council to liaise
with the Pest Animal Council, livestock health and pest
authorities and other relevant bodies in connection with
their respective functions. The Minister for Primary
Industries could potentially direct the Game Council to liaise
with the Animal Research Panel or an AEC when exercising
the function of issuing permits.
Yours sincerely,
Kirsty Ruddock
Principal Solicitor, EDO
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The EDO advises that amateur hunting in national
parks and nature reserves could be defined as “animal
research” under the AR Act. If so, amateur hunting
could be in breach of the AR Act because there would
be no reporting to an AEC about how hunting is
impacting on the welfare of individual animals,
especially native (non-target) animals. However, as
stated by the EDO, it would be relatively easy for the
NSW Parliament to legislate for AEC involvement or to
exempt amateur hunting from this requirement.
My concern is that most, if not all, hunters are not
trained to recognise undue stress that they may cause
animals, especially non-target species. Examples of
undue stress to animals that may arise from hunting
activities include:
1. Abandonment of dependent young (e.g. desertion of
nests by birds, abandonment of pouch young by
kangaroos and wallabies).
2. Abortion of unborn foetuses (flying-foxes and
marsupials are particularly vulnerable to aborting
foetuses when stressed).
3. Avoidance of favoured feeding areas during and
between hunting expeditions.
There is also the question of whether or not individual
hunters can provide accurate information to an
AEC. Hunters focus their attention on hunting game
and feral animals; to observe, record and effectively
treat other animals who have been harmed or impacted
in the process, if administered properly, would impact
significantly on the time available to an amateur hunter
for recreational hunting.
Based on what is required in recognising and reporting
incidences of undue stress, injury and mortality to an
AEC, and treating animals that have been accidentally
injured, it is probably necessary to have a veterinarian
and/or an appropriately experienced zoologist
accompanying each hunting expedition, which is
clearly an impractical solution.
CONCLUSION
I presented the EDO letter to the rest of the ECA
Council for consideration of further action against
amateur hunting in national parks and nature reserves.
As ECA members already know, the ECA Council did
16
send a letter of concern to the NSW Premier and other
politicians, outlining its concern about amateur
hunting from the perspective of personal safety of its
members and other park users. However, the majority
of the Council voted against using the advice from the
EDO to argue against amateur hunting on the grounds
that animal welfare is not a core interest of the ECA.
On a personal level, I find that decision and the reason
for it very disappointing. As ecological consultants we
deal with animal welfare issues on an almost daily
basis. Outside academic and government animal
research establishments, ecological consultants are in
the best position to advise government decision-
makers and administrators on animal welfare issues
arising from field research. There are also some ECA
members who have had first-hand experience studying
and/or managing feral animal populations, in their
capacity as university or government researchers prior
to becoming ecological consultants, and/or as
ecological consultants involved in designing and
implementing feral animal management programs.
Therefore, I feel that the ECA has lost an important
opportunity to contribute to this aspect of the hunting
debate.
I have subsequently made the legal advice that I
requested from the EDO available to other non-
government organisations, who have been proactive in
using it to debate the hunting issue.
I thank the Environmental Defenders Office, Kirsty
Ruddock in particular, for their prompt and detailed
advice on this matter.
‘No Amateur Hunting in National Parks’
Rally, Sydney
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Ambrose Ecological Services Pty Ltd
5th May 2013
Clarification from the author:
As a professional ecologist, I recognise that we have a feral
animal problem across Australia, including in and around
NSW national parks and nature reserves. Therefore, I also
recognise the importance of professional shooters whose
hunting activities are under the direct supervision of
national parks staff in helping to control feral animal
populations in high conservation areas. “No hunting in
national parks” rallies occurring in NSW don’t seem to
differentiate between professional and amateur hunting in
national parks. I, and no doubt many other biologists, have
attended one or more of these rallies in opposition to
amateur, rather than professional, hunting. The following
article is a summary of my observations of the Sydney rally,
which was co-ordinated by the National Parks Association of
NSW.
On 18 April 2013, a number of ECA members attended
the Sydney protest rally against amateur hunting in
NSW national parks and nature reserves. School
holidays, a lunch-time protest and a well publicised
contentious issue guaranteed a good crowd. The
official NSW Police estimate of crowd size was 3000,
although mainstream media variously reported
between 1000 and 3000 people attending the rally.
The peaceful rally started from the fountain in Hyde
Protesters in Hyde Park just before the start of the march
down Macquarie Street to Parliament House.
One of many
home-made
protest signs
that were on
display at
the protest.
17
Park in Sydney and people of all ages marched slowly,
chanting and waving banners, as they marched down
Macquarie Street to the NSW Parliament. The
assembled crowd was then welcomed to Garigal land
by a representative of the Garigal Nation.
The speakers who addressed the rally were Bob Brown
(Bob Brown Foundation), Bob Debus (former NSW
Minister for the Environment and Attorney-General,
current member of the Blue Mountains Conservation
Society), Kevin Evans (CEO of the National Parks
Association of NSW), Leanne Taylor (CEO of the
Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service,
WIRES) and Anne Gardiner (General Secretary of the
Public Service Association of NSW).
Bob Brown began his speech with this stirring
statement:
“We are standing in front of a great church [St Stephen’s
Uniting Church], a spiritual centre in Sydney. We stand
opposite a centre of democracy – the [NSW] Parliament, the
oldest parliament in Australia. Guns are banned in the first,
guns are banned in the second, but Premier O’Farrell has
invited guns into the greatest cathedral of all – our national
parks.”
Bob Brown said he feared the decision to allow
amateur hunters into NSW national parks would be
replicated in other states and territories, as well as in
Australian World Heritage Areas.
Bob Debus addressed "bush walkers of NSW and your
children" when he said the decision to allow hunting in
NSW national parks was part of a "deliberate attack on
the very idea of national parks".
“I think we are talking about a culture war on natural
conservation,” he said.
“National parks are one of the great international ideas of
the last century. Parks cover nearly 10 per cent of NSW:
they include our best-loved places and were visited more
than 350 million times last year. Visitors are encouraged to
walk, camp, swim and cycle; to understand and enjoy our
outstanding natural and cultural heritage.
“The Liberal lands minister Tom Lewis established the
National Parks and Wildlife Service 45 years ago and it has
been nurtured by a succession of ministers. I doubt any
minister entertained the idea that recreational shooting was
compatible with the purpose of a national park.
An official
welcome to the
land of the
Garigal people.
Bob Brown (Bob Brown Foundation, centre), Cate
Faerhmann MLC (left) and David Shoebridge MLC
(right) addressing the crowd.
Bob Debus, former Environment Minister & Attorney-
General in the NSW Parliament, and current member of
the Blue Mountains Conservation Society.
18
“Nevertheless, amendments to the Game and Feral Control
Amendment Act 2012, will result in the introduction of
recreational hunting in most of our national parks before the
end of the year.
“They call it ‘conservation hunting’ but the term is
deliberately misleading.
“It is not just the danger that shooting would bring to park
users, including young families; it is not just the deep
offence that would be caused by aggressive intrusion into
places many people regard as sacred. Scientists and
professional land managers provide advice based on
nationwide research which shows that intermittent,
unplanned shooting is useless for controlling feral animals.
“Animal species that become feral succeed because they breed
quickly. A control program must eliminate the majority of
individuals at any location to be effective. That only happens
when land managers and landowners work together on a
systematic eradication program, which typically involves
several control methods: baiting and trapping as well as
shooting.”
Leanne Taylor, CEO of WIRES said:
“The number of native animals being injured from bullets
and arrows from [amateur hunting] activity in state forests
is bad enough. Our organisation invests heavily into caring
for native animals that are orphaned, injured or sick.
Hunting in national parks will inevitably stretch our
resources and ability to cope with the calls on our voluntary
services.”
Anne Gardiner, from the Public Service Association of
NSW, said National Parks staff were acting in the
interests of the community, saying it was "unsafe and
ineffective" to allow the Game Council to oversee
recreational hunting in national parks.
Kevin Evans from The National Parks Association
revealed that even politicians within the government
disagree with recreational hunting in national parks
and called on them to come out publicly with their
concerns. Kevin also reminded us that the fight to end
amateur hunting in national parks is ongoing and that
we must not back down just because we have done
“our bit” in attending the rally.
Kevin Evans, CEO of the National Parks Association of NSW Leanne Taylor (CEO of WIRES) addressing the crowd.
Anne
Gardiner,
General
Secretary of
the Public
Service
Association
(PSA) of
NSW
19
Although protesters had a serious and loud message
that it wanted NSW parliamentarians to hear, the rally
was punctuated by one rather entertaining incident.
The NSW Fire Brigade responded to an emergency call
from somewhere in the Sydney CBD, which
necessitated a fire truck, siren blazing, passing through
the assembled crowd as it made its way slowly down
Macquarie Street. Expert police co-ordination,
instructions to the crowd from Bob Brown at the stage
microphone, and a willingness of the crowd to let the
fire truck through, meant that two waves of crowded
people parted momentarily, came back together as one,
and the rally continued as if nothing had happened!
Postscript to the Hunting Issue
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Ambrose Ecological Services Pty Ltd
14th July 2013
On 4 July 2013, Premier Barry O’Farrell announced the
abolition of the NSW Game Council, based on the
findings of the review of its operations (“The Dunn
Report”). The statutory roles of the NSW Game
Council will now be taken up by the NSW Department
of Primary Industries.
The Dunn Report said that the Game Council was
confused about its roles under the Game and Feral
Animal Control Act 2002. It was meant to develop plans
for hunter safety, public land access, licencing,
education, compliance of licenced hunters and
research. But the report concluded that the Game
Council was seemingly unconcerned about issues of
public safety, devoting their time and resources to
promoting “conservation hunting” and keeping tallies
of animals killed by hunters on private land.
In a simultaneous announcement, Environment
Minister Robyn Parker revealed that amateur hunting
will begin as a trial in 12 national parks in October
2013, rather than in the 75 parks that were included in
the original hunting program. Amateur hunting in
State Forests has also been suspended. Shooters in the
trial hunting program will be “closely supervised” by
National Parks and Wildlife staff wherever hunting
takes place, although it is not yet clear what that
supervision entails, and if National Parks and Wildlife
will be given additional government resources to carry
out the supervision.
The Minister also announced that the results and
recommendations of the trial hunting program would
be peer-reviewed. If the trial amateur hunting is
deemed successful in controlling feral animal
populations in the 12 designated national parks, then it
would be introduced into the other 63 national parks. It
has not yet been announced who will be conducting
the peer reviews and the terms of reference for those
reviews.
Smile for the Camera
Laura Worthington
RPS
Our family property is located approximately 20
kilometres north-west of Scone, in the Upper Hunter
Shire. It covers over 500 hectares and is characterised
by rugged terrain, including steep slopes, deep
gullies and small escarpments. The property supports
a diversity of native vegetation communities,
including grassy woodlands, dry sclerophyll forests,
small tracts of rainforest, riparian forest and open
areas on the upper slopes, previously used for cattle
grazing. A creek flows through the bottom of the
property and several farm dams are located upon the
upper slopes. The property is not currently managed
for any particular purpose.
Due to the large area and diversity of habitats, the
property supports an incredible abundance of
animals. Birds are particularly diverse with Powerful
Owl, Masked Owl, Rufous Fantail, Glossy Black
Cockatoo and White-Throated Needletail just a few
of the more significant species that we have recorded.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), Swamp
Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor), Wallaroo (Macropus
robustus) and Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
are some of the commonly occurring native
mammals. The property is also home to a large
number of introduced species, including Feral Pig
(Sis scrofa), Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Fallow Deer
(Dama dama), Feral Goat (Capra hircus), Red Fox
(Vulpes vulpes) and Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
20
Photo Competition Entries
Right: Squatter Pigeon
(southern) taken near
Coppabella QLD
(Photo courtesy of
Kurtis Lindsay).
Left: A timid Eastern
Pygmy-possum
Cercartetus nanus
within the Sydney
Metropolitan
Catchment (photo
courtesy of Kylie Reed)
Above Right:
Strophurus taeniatus
taken near Cloncurry,
QLD (Photo courtesy
of Kurtis Lindsay).
Left: Burton’s Legless
Lizard (photo courtesy
of Jason Berrigan)
Left: Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog,
Kooragang Island. Above Right and
Right: Green and Golden Bell Frog,
Kooragang Island. (photos courtesy of
Toby Lambert)
21
Photo Competition Entries
Right: Phasmid-striped
Gecko (Strophurus
taeniatus) east of
Cloncurry, QLD.
Below: Brown Tree
Snake taken near
Blackwater QLD
(Photos courtesy of Kurtis
Lindsay).
Right:
Litoria
littlejohni in
amplexus
recorded
within the
Sydney
Metropolitan
Catchment
(photo
courtesy of
Kylie Reed)
Left: Ctenotus pantherinus
near Cloncurry, QLD
(photo courtesy of Kurtis
Lindsay).
Right: Tawny Frogmouth
(photo courtesy of Kathryn
Chesnut)
Left: Brown
Antechinus
Antechinus stuartii
Right: Bush Rat
Rattus fuscipes.
(photos courtesy of
Laura Worthington).
22
Over the last six months, various remote cameras have
been set up around the property to capture the
diversity and number of animals moving about. The
cameras have taken some fantastic shots, including
inquisitive deer eye-balling the lens, wombats grazing
alongside kangaroos and feral pigs and fighting bucks,
just to name a few.
However, the following photos, taken by a ScoutGuard
SG560K 8MP IR Trail Camera, are probably some of
the most spectacular images captured to date. The
camera was established at a deer carcass in mid-April
this year. Almost 2000 photos were taken at this
location as the carcass was scavenged upon by pigs,
foxes, ravens and Wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax). It
has been difficult to select just a few to share. Most
interesting is observing the apparent hierarchy of
animals as they feed on this carcass. During the day it
would appear Wedge-tailed eagles, seen in groups of
up to four birds, fended off any hungry foxes and
ravens, which were forced to wait until the eagle left
before they could feed. Generally, at night the carcass
appeared to be monopolised by feral pigs; one
particularly large pig returned to feed on the carcass
over several nights, and on one night, chose to have a
bit of a rest between feeding bouts right next to the
carcass. Once the pigs moved on, groups of up to six
and eight foxes each night would move in to feed, fight
and even appeared to mate.
Photos courtesy of Lee Dally.
Figure 1: A Wedge-tailed eagle is first to arrive at the carcass
Figure 2: A wedge-tailed eagle hoping for a part in the next
Wolf Blass advertisement
Figure 3: Three Wedge-tailed eagles pick at the carcass
while a fox waits for his turn in the background
Figure 4: A fox is deterred by a Wedge-tailed eagle
23
Figure 5: A large pig returned to feed on the carcass over
several consecutive nights
Figure 6: A fox waits while a large pig feasts on the carcass
Figure 7: How many sets of eyes can you count?
Figure 8: Foxes get feisty around the carcass.
Figure 9: Foxes appeared to mate by the carcass on several
occasions
24
More On Lyme Disease
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Ambrose Ecological Services Pty Ltd
Recognition of Lyme Disease in Australia:
On 28 May 2013, the Australian Government’s Chief
Medical Officer, Professor Chris Baggoley, announced
the establishment of the Clinical Advisory Committee
on Lyme Disease (CACLD). The purpose of the
CACLD is to advise the Chief Medical Officer on the
following issues:
1. The extent to which there is evidence of Borrelia
species causing illness in humans in Australia;
2. The most appropriate laboratory diagnostic
testing algorithms (best world practice) for
persons who have suspected borreliosis in
Australia;
3. The most appropriate treatments for borreliosis
in Australia;
4. The most appropriate ways to disseminate
information to health professionals and the
general public on borreliosis/Lyme Disease;
5. The requirements for research into borreliosis in
Australia; and
6. The generation of appropriate new questions
relevant to the above terms of reference.
These terms of reference mark the first official
recognition of the Australian Government that Lyme
Disease occurs in Australia. Hopefully, it will result in
the allocation of government funds for Lyme Disease
research, education, diagnostic testing and treatment in
Australia.
ECA Workshop on Lyme Disease Abandoned:
The ECA Council announced last year that it would
organise a workshop on Lyme Disease. However, this
proved very difficult because of conflicts within the
medical profession. The ECA had planned to invite
experts who, collectively, would have provided a
range of perspectives on the incidence of Lyme Disease
in Australia; how to medically treat Lyme Disease
patients; and identify directions for future research.
However, it soon became clear that some of the key
experts would not take part in an ECA workshop if
peers with conflicting ideas, or were competitors for
research funding, also took part in the workshop.
Therefore, the ECA succumbed to politics of the
medical profession and abandoned the idea of running
the workshop.
Reduce the Risk of Contracting Lyme Disease:
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the
United States recommends the following measures for
reducing the risk of contracting Lyme Disease and
other tick-borne infections:
Know where to expect ticks: Ixodes ticks live in moist
and humid environments, particularly in or near
wooded or grassy areas. You may come into contact
with ticks during outdoor activities around your
home or when walking through vegetation such as
leaf litter or shrubs. To avoid ticks, walk in the
centre of trails and avoid tall vegetation.
Use a repellent with DEET (on skin or clothing) or
permethrin (on clothing and gear): Repellents
containing 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-
toluamide) can be applied to the skin, and they can
protect up to several hours. Always follow product
instructions! Parents should apply repellents to their
children, taking care to avoid application to hands,
eyes, and mouth. Products containing permethrin
can be used to treat boots, clothing, and camping
gear. Treated items can remain protective through
several washings.
Perform daily tick checks: Check your body for ticks
after being outdoors, even in your own yard.
Conduct a body check upon return from potentially
tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for
ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view
all parts of your body and remove any tick you find.
Take special care to check these parts of your body
and your child's body for ticks:
Under the arms
In and around the ears
Inside the belly button
Back of the knees
In and around all head and body hair
Between the legs
Around the waist.
Check your clothing and pets for ticks because ticks
25
may be carried into the house on clothing and pets.
Both should be examined carefully, and any ticks
that are found should be removed. Placing clothes
into a dryer on high heat effectively kills ticks.
Remove attached ticks quickly and correctly:
Remove an attached tick using fine-tipped tweezers
as soon as you notice it. If a tick is attached to your
skin for less than 24 hours, your chance of getting
Lyme disease is extremely small; however, other
diseases may be transmitted more quickly.
Over the next few weeks, watch for signs or
symptoms of Lyme disease such as rash or fever.
See a healthcare provider if these develop.
Be alert for fever or rash: Even if you don’t
remember being bitten by a tick, an unexpected
summer fever or odd rash may be the first signs of
a tick-borne disease, particularly if you’ve been in
tick habitat. See your health care provider if these
symptoms develop.
Prevent ticks on animals: Prevent family pets from
bringing ticks into the home by limiting their
access to tick-infested areas and by using
veterinarian-prescribed tick collars or spot-on
treatment.
Create tick-safe zones in your yard: Modify your
landscaping to create "Tick-Safe Zones." It's pretty
simple. Keep patios, play areas, and playground
equipment away from shrubs, bushes, and other
vegetation. Regularly remove leaf litter, clear tall
grasses and brush around your home, and place
wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded
areas to keep ticks away from recreational areas
(and away from you).
Use a chemical control agent: Effective tick control
chemicals are available for use by the homeowner,
or they can be applied by a professional pest
control expert.
Discourage deer; Deer are the main food source for
adult ticks. Keep deer away from your home by
removing plants that attract deer and by
constructing physical barriers that may discourage
deer from entering your yard and bringing ticks
with them.
About then, I realise my iphone is still in my pocket, as is
my expensive torch I use for inspections, and my radio. I
surface, and for what its worth, throw them to the
bank. A smaller number of bees buzz me, and others are
attacking the spotter who's trying to help me (he later
tells me that when I hit the dam he couldn't see my
head or shoulders for the bees). I'm standing chest deep,
leaning backwards and holding my hair in the water,
crushing bees in my hair with the one hand that has a
glove on it, and swearing in anger and pain.
I hear the spotter yell at me to run to him. I stumble out
of the dam and run as bees buzz around us, and he half
drags me around to the front of the nearby vacant
house. My head and right hand are on fire and I can
barely breathe. It is at this time I recall, my father is
allergic to bees.
We get to a safe place about another 50m away, and I
slide off his arm to writhe on the ground and curse
enough to make merchant seaman blush. The pain is
intense and unelenting. I've been stung by wasps and bees
over the years - the worst being 3 on the head when I
was a kid, but this was something else. I have a very
good idea of what it would feel like if I was doused in
petrol and set alight.
The spotter is a good guy, and begins pulling/crushing
still live bees out of my hair bare-handed and smacking
them off my shirt. A few other people arrive, and begin
scratching out the stings, which helps to reduce some of
the pain and swelling. They pull off my shirt and cover
me with a thermal blanket as I begin to shiver (I’m
soaking wet, and possibly in shock). Someone has called
an ambulance, who gets lost on the way out, and takes
ages to arrive. I try not to count the seconds as I wait in
my private hell. They finally arrive, ask me about my
breathing (no swollen throat), check my abdomen for
swelling, check my blood pressure and heart rate (up just
a tad), and tell me that it appears I'm not allergic. “How
(Continued from page 12)
(Continued on page 31)
26
PURSUING A CAREER IN ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY
1. What does an ecological consultant do? Ecological consultants are responsible for undertaking a range of activities in relation to the assessment of the
ecological values of a location. In general, these assessments relate to proposed development activities such as
residential, industrial and mining constructions. They may also be to provide information on the ecological values
of areas to a range of stakeholders. Assessments are necessary because there are a range of legal obligations
established under state and federal environmental laws that need to be considered when an activity will result in an
impact on the natural environment.
Ecological consultants may also be asked to:
design, implement and monitor the effectiveness of ecological management plans;
provide expert ecological advice in court cases, to independent commissions of inquiry, parliamentary
groups, urban planning groups and at local council meetings;
peer review work conducted by other ecological consultants; and
train others in university or TAFE courses, conferences and workshops or on-the-job.
An ecological consultant will be involved in a variety of interesting activities such as field surveys, use of
geographic information systems (GISs), consultation with clients and stakeholders, interpretation of environmental
legal documents and preparation of reports and management plans just to name a few.
There are a range of standard documents written by ecological consultants including flora and fauna reports,
environmental impact assessments, opportunity and constraint reports, species impact statements, vegetation maps,
vegetation management plans, threatened species management plans, fire management plans and peer review of
development applications.
2. Main industry sectors in ecological consultancy. Ecological consultants work with a variety of organisations:
Federal and State government departments such as environmental protection agencies, conservation agencies
(e.g. NSW Office of Strategic Lands), land management agencies (e.g. NSW Office of Strategic Lands) and
catchment management authorities.
Local councils undertaking assessments of property in parks and reserves; critical review of development
applications; application or development zoning.
Large developers of residential, industrial or mining projects.
Law firms that deal with environmental and planning issues.
Community groups who require expert advice on ecological values and management e.g. environmental
action groups, bushcare groups.
The following ‘Pursuing a Career in Ecological Consulting’ is a brochure that was recently created
by the University Liaison Sub-committee of the ECA council as a response to frequently being
contacted by university graduates asking questions about the Ecological Consulting Industry. This
brochure has also been uploaded on the ECA website.
27
3. Qualifications and Experience
(a) Qualifications
The usual minimum requirement is a degree (or equivalent) in a biological science from a recognised (government
-accredited) tertiary institution. Most ecological consultants have at least a B. Sc. (Hons) degree, some with higher
degrees (M. Sc. or Ph.D).
A few people who have a relevant diploma in applied science from a TAFE College (e.g. Dip. Biol. Tech. or Dip.
Appl. Sc.), and who have worked for several years as a scientific officer or field assistant in a biological discipline,
have also been successful as ecological consultants.
Degree certificates that are purchased on the internet from “non-accredited universities” or diploma mills are not
recognised by government authorities and the environmental consultancy industry in Australia.
(b) Experience
Many graduates think they are readily employable as ecological consultants once they have completed their
studies. In most cases this perception is WRONG!
As an ecological consultant you are expected to provide expert advice and efficient services to your clients and
government authorities. Therefore, you will need relevant business and scientific skills that have not necessarily
been acquired from a tertiary education. Some of these skills are prerequisites for employment as an ecological
consultant, others will be acquired during on-the-job training.
A prospective ecological consultant should have:
relevant tertiary qualifications;
an understanding of environmental planning and assessment processes and the parties involved;
research skills: fluency in web-based data, information sources and office computer software;
good database management and report-writing skills;
good client liaison skills and the ability to work efficiently as part of a project team;
the ability to meet tight deadlines while still maintaining a high standard of work; and
(usually) a current driver’s licence.
Field ecologists should also have proven experience in flora and/or fauna and habitat survey and recording
techniques, including the ability to identify plant and/or animal species and their habitats. Database managers must
be proficient in the use of software for data storage and analysis (biostatistical packages) and presentation of data
(e.g. GIS software).
Predicting potential ecological impacts of development or activity proposals, and recommending how to reduce or
avoid them, are specialist skills that are usually learned early in ecological consultancy. Therefore, a good
knowledge of threatening processes and the ecological requirements of species and communities is a highly
desirable attribute when applying for a job as an ecological consultant.
4. Applying for a Job as an Ecological Consultant
(a) Where to Look
General Job Seeking Sites such as:
Australian JobSearch www.jobsearch.gov.au/ SEEK www.seek.com.au
CareerOne www.careerone.com.au/ MyCareer www.mycareer.com.au/
AllJobs www.alljobs.com.au/.
28
Environmental Job Seeking Sites such as:
NRMjobs www.nrmjobs.com.au
Enviro Jobs www.envirojobs.com.au
Environment Jobs www.environmentjobs.com.au
Environmental Jobs www.environmentaljobs.com.au
Websites of environmental consultancies. Many companies advertise job vacancies on their websites.
Some also invite you to send them your curriculum vitae so that they can invite you to apply for a job when
a potentially suitable vacancy becomes available.
Websites of relevant professional associations such as the Ecological Consultants Association of NSW
(ECA) www.ecansw.org.au, Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand www.eianz.org and
Ecological Society of Australia www.ecolsoc.org.au. These sites advertise job vacancies, provide
information about the ecological consultancy industry and some provide contact details of environmental
consultants.
Professional networking sites such as Linkedin. These sites allow you to promote your qualifications and
experience to targeted audiences, interact with environmental consultants and learn about current
environmental issues and the ecological consultancy industry. These sites also advertise job vacancies.
Employment sections of newspapers and other periodicals.
Recruitment Agencies. Some job seekers use professional recruitment agencies who have established
extensive networks within a broad range of employment sectors.
University online bulletin boards sometimes advertise jobs, fix-term internships or work experience
positions for undergraduates (university vacation periods) or new graduates.
(b) How to Stand Out From the Crowd
There is a good chance that a job which is advertised widely will attract a lot of applicants. Here are some tips to
help you stand out from the crowd:
Qualifications. Good grades and higher degrees will usually move your application towards the top of the pile in
the initial job selection process.
Relevant Work Experience. Consultancies often prefer to employ people who have had previous work
experience as an ecological consultant or field ecologist. Try to gain relevant work experience during university or
TAFE vacations; some tertiary institutions that run applied environmental science courses team up with industry
groups to provide this experience as a course requirement.
If you are a recent graduate without relevant work experience, you may like to offer to work as a volunteer for a
short and defined period of time. This may be difficult for you financially at the time, but it is a way to
demonstrate first-hand your workplace capabilities to a potential future employer.
(c) Preparing Your Application
Do your homework before submitting a job application. Research the company and the type of job advertised.
Job descriptions often identify someone you can contact for further information about the position. Use that
opportunity to ask intelligent questions to find out more about the job.
Your letter of application must always address the selection criteria that are in the job description. Provide relevant
details under sub-headings that relate to each criterion. A form letter that is used for all job applications is not
acceptable because it demonstrates that you have not thought enough about the advertised job, as well as an
apparent lack of interest. Your letter should be comprehensive, but succinct.
29
Each job application should include your curriculum vitae (cv) or resume. The cv should summarise information
about your educational qualifications, list additional training courses you have completed, relevant work
experience (job titles, employers, projects, dates of employment), relevant publications (if any), and the names and
contact details of at least three professional referees.
If possible, ask someone who is familiar with environmental or ecological consultancy to review your letter of
application and cv before you submit it to the potential employer.
Always submit your job application by the advertised deadline. A key component of all consultancy work is the
ability to meet numerous deadlines. A late job application may create doubt in the mind of a potential employer
about your ability to do this.
Always inform your referees that they have been nominated in your letter of application and provide them with a
copy of the job description. This will assist them in providing a reference if the potential employer or employment
agency contacts them about your application.
(d) The Job Interview
If you have made it to the interview stage, then you are on the shortlist of job applicants for the position. Ensure
that you turn up to the interview on time and dress smartly.
Prepare for the interview by going over your letter of application, refreshing your knowledge of the company and
the advertised job, and identifying questions that you would like to ask the interviewers – the interview is just as
important for you to learn about the company and the job, as it is for the interviewer(s) to learn about you.
You may be called for a second interview. This is usually an indication that the potential employer cannot decide
between two applicants and needs further information, or there is a need to clarify additional issues that have been
raised in the job selection process.
(e) Additional Hints
If you wish to talk to someone in the workplace about ecological consultancy, organise an appointment
beforehand. Owners and managers of ecological consultancies are busy people and they may take some time to
respond to unsolicited inquires (emails, postal letters, phone calls) for a job or work experience opportunities.
Be honest about your capabilities and work experiences when applying for a job in ecological consultancy this will
avoid the embarrassment of being employed in a job for which you are not suited.
5. Career pathways in ecological consultancy
Ecological consultants usually start as members of a team that provides assistance to the Project Manager/Senior
Ecologist. In most consulting companies there will be a structure that allows for the movement of a consultant
from Project Officer/Ecologist to that of Senior Project Manager/Senior Ecologist.
There are a number of avenues for ecological consultants to improve their skills and ensure they remain up to date
with current practices and ecological knowledge. Following these avenues will be important to a consultant’s
career pathway.
6. Ongoing Training & Accreditation
Not everything you need to know can possibly be covered in a tertiary degree or be provided by your employer.
While your employer will probably be proactive in providing training in the use of their business systems and
OH&S you will be responsible for identifying and chasing opportunities for acquiring additional ecological skills
and business management skills. A variety of courses are available in field survey methods, use of GIS software,
first aid courses, 4 x 4 courses, workshops and conferences that are run by various organisations, either
government, private or professional. These training opportunities should take several forms:
30
Direct interest: Learning opportunities can be tailored to your interests (e.g. assessment of microchiropteran bat
populations or eucalypt identification). Skills learned can be used directly in your daily activities. Some
consulting companies will support their staff acquiring these skills.
Indirect interest: You should also be on the lookout for opportunities which broaden your general ecological
skills. For example, while you may have little interest in undertaking bird banding or orchid identification, having
a basic understanding of these topics will allow you to understand relevant literature and manage projects which
require these investigations.
Business skills: Although most ecologists groan at the mere thought of spending time learning business skills,
(such as understanding and negotiating contracts, project and people management) these provide the basic building
blocks for life as a consultant.
Safety: Training courses in the area of safety should be tailored to the skills you require in the industries you are
working in. As a minimum you should receive training in first aid and four wheel driving, with other training
being added should the need arise (e.g. working in remote locations).
Accreditation: During your career, legislation will vary and requirements to meet certain standards within the
industry will change (e.g. BioBanking Accreditation, AusRivas Certification). Participation in these schemes,
where appropriate, is recommended to broaden your skills base and to ensure that you remain up to date within the
industry requirements.
7. Setting up your own consultancy business
Working for yourself has many advantages but before going out on your own there are a number of factors that
you need to consider.
Do you have the depth of ecological experience necessary to provide clients with scientifically robust
advice?
Are you sufficiently knowledgeable with regards to providing sound advice within the legal frameworks?
Have you worked on a wide range of projects that have given you sufficient experience across several
industries and project types?
Do you have sufficient standing and connections within the industry to allow you to attract clients?
Do you have strong connections with colleagues in the consulting community who will be able to assist you
with advice or provide you with services that are out of your area of expertise?
What type of business do you want to have? Do you want to be a sole trader or do you want to employ other
ecologists?
On a more personal note you need to be honest about your ability to be self-motivated, your ability to work
independently and to meet deadlines on time and on budget. If you need direction from above to identify
requirements for a project and to spur you on to get the project completed then perhaps you aren’t ready for
working independently.
Keep in mind that you won’t necessarily earn a ‘steady wage’ each week, especially during the development of
your business, and this may present challenges if you have a mortgage and dependents. Have a definite plan in
place to procure work and remember that chasing the next job should always be an ongoing process even when
you are busy on your current project load. Cash flow can only be guaranteed if you diligently invoice and chase
timely payment so unless you are confident enough to do this you should reconsider working for yourself. You
must ensure that you have best-practice business systems in place to protect you and your clients. This advice can
best be provided by an accountant and solicitor with experience in setting up small business. It is also essential for
your business to have adequate insurance cover (professional indemnity, public liability and workers’
compensation insurance) from the outset.
31
Additional advice can be sought at various websites and by talking to colleagues in the ECA, e.g.
http://www.business.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.ato.gov.au/businesses/content.aspx?doc=/content/69534.htm
Remember you are setting up a business that will provide advice that your client is going to rely on either
personally or within their business. It can be a very challenging experience that requires long working hours as
you will be responsible for all facets of the ecological work and running a business. However, if you strike out on
your own with sufficient expertise it can be richly rewarding and one that is well worthwhile.
8. Relevant professional societies/associations
There are number of professional organisations to which consultants can belong. These organisations provide
valuable information on recent research, conferences and training options. Some relevant organisations are:
Ecological Consultants Association of New South Wales – http://www.ecansw.org.au/
Ecological Society of Australia - http://www.ecolsoc.org.au/
Australian Systematic Botany Society - http://www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/
Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales - http://www.rzsnsw.org.au/
Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand - http://www.eianz.org/
Australian Marine Sciences Association - http://www.amsa.asn.au/
did they know that?” “I wasn't dead.”
They give me a much needed pain killer, and I get the ambulance ride to the hospital. I'm seen by a very lovely young
English doctor, and she takes out the last of the stings. I recite the story many times to nurses, doctors and wardsmen:
I'm the hospital celebrity for the day. Fortunately no-one had mobile phone footage of the incident or it would be on
Youtube (many asked if someone did).
They stop counting the stings at 40, and that's before they get to my head. I get a few hours observation, a tetanus
shot, and eventually, get to go home. I terrify my children with my disfigurement (my hand looks like a club, and my
face is gruesome), and simply go to bed. Its been a long day.
Saturday is a day to forget as my body feels like it has been run over by a truck, and looks like it. I have a migraine
like a power drill in my head, and look like I’ve been beaten by Mike Tyson using 3 foot of copper pipe. And then the
bites start itching. I thought sandflies were bad.
Fortunately an understanding chemist provides a great anti-histamine and Stingose, and I can pass for human by
lunch time Sunday, and close my right hand again by dinner. Monday, I am back to normal, and the butt of jokes at
the toolbox.
The moral of this story is that clear communication in a workplace where there is danger is essential.
This is an accident that should have never happened for a range of reasons, as you can see. Another good idea is if
you’re working on a site where a feral bee hive is present – MARK IT CLEARLY so that everyone and anyone can
recognise it. These and other protocols now apply on this job and I’ve updated our SWMS as well.
So once you stop laughing at my misfortune, I hope you learn a lesson too.
(Continued from page 25)
32
Notes on a Threatened (Vulnerable) flora species on
the NSW North Coast. Part of a series of articles on
NSW North Coast Threatened plants that aim to
provide specific habitat, ecology and distribution data
to aid the consultant ecologist (with a bias towards
those lesser known taxa where no detailed species
profiles exist).
Nabiac Casuarina
(Allocasuarina simulans)
Description Dioecious shrub to 4 metres tall with smooth bark.
Branchlets yellowish/green and ascending to 22 cm
long; 1-1.5mm wide. Articles (being the portion of the
branchlet between whorls of teeth) up to 16 mm long;
each branchlet consists of 6 prominent ridges, with
conspicuous, dense white hairs between each ridge
(furrows) running the length of the article. Leaves are
reduced to a ring of six tiny teeth at the nodes (joints)
of each branchlet. Inter-article whorls have 6 teeth
with each tooth having an acute, darkened apex and
slightly overlapping bases (refer Harden Volume 1 for
a decent sketch of the teeth). The teeth apices point to
the hairs that occur between the angled ridges. A
decent 10x hand lens used in the field will be sufficient
to view the teeth and angled ridges (which are a key
diagnostic feature for Casuarinaceae). I have included
a macro photo of the teeth and ridges for reference.
Cone body is roughly cylindrical-shaped to 40mm
long, 15 mm wide, often with an acuminate or pointed
apex. Peduncles are generally 14-mm long, 2-3mm
wide (photo of cones also attached).
Distribution
Restricted to the Pleistocene Nabiac Sandbeds and
Holocene dunefields in Booti Booti National Park on
the NSW mid north coast. Floristics detailed below
based on surveys undertaken by the author in recent
years.
Habitat Type 1
Banksia dry shrubland on coastal sands of the North
Coast
Occurrence
This vegetation type was recorded on free draining
Pleistocene sands on beach ridges with a relatively
deep water table on the Nabiac Sandbeds as well as on
Holocene dunes in Booti Booti National Park north of
Forster.
Floristics and Structure:
Emergent Stratum (height to 8 m; projected foliage
cover <5%)
Canopy emergents dominated by Eucalyptus racemosa
var racemosa.
Upper Stratum (height to 7 m; projected foliage
cover to 41%)
Moderately dense small tree/tall shrubs dominated by
Banksia aemula, Melaleuca nodosa and Leptospermum
trinervium.
Mid Stratum (height to 3 m; projected foliage cover
to 53%)
Dense heathy shrub stratum dominated by Acacia
ulicifolia, Eriostemon australasius, Boronia pinnata, Zieria
laxiflora, Persoonia katerae, Tetratheca ericifolia,
Gompholobium latifolium, Leptospermum polygalifolium
subsp. cismontanum, Dillwynia retorta, Dillwynia
floribunda, Leucopogon ericoides, Leucopogon virgatus,
From the Botany Desk This section is dedicated to sharing of observations, descriptions and any information such as flowers of threatened plants for the purpose of benefiting the science of Botany, especially in its application to ecological consulting and management of threatened species. This issue, Isaac Mamott shares his valuable insights into two threatened species he’s been working with.
33
Isopogon anemonifolius, Banksia oblongifolia, Conospermum
taxifolium, Leucopogon appressus, Hibbertia obtusifolia,
Epacris pulchella, Pimelea linifolia, Leptospermum
semibaccatum, Calytrix tetragona, Pimelea linifolia,
Persoonia katerae, Ricinocarpus pinifolius, Eriostemon
australasius.
Lower (Ground) Stratum (height to 1.0 m; projected
foliage cover to 92%)
Dense groundcover dominated by grasses, sedges, sub
shrubs and graminoids including Baeckea imbricata,
Hibbertia linearis, Astroloma pinifolium, Euryomyrtus
ramosissima subsp. ramosissima, Bossiaea ensata, Caustis
recurvata var. recurvata, Tricoryne elatior, Ptilothrix
deusta, Hypolaena fastigata, Leptocarpus tenax,
Xanthorrhoea sp.
Habitat Type 2
Scribbly Gum heathy open forest on coastal lowlands
of the North Coast
Occurrence
This vegetation type was recorded on free draining
Pleistocene dunes and beach ridges with a relatively
deep water table on the Nabiac Sandbeds.
Floristics and Structure:
Upper Stratum (height to 10 m; projected foliage
cover to 32%)
Eucalyptus racemosa var racemosa recorded as the
dominant canopy species with Eucalyptus pilularis,
Corymbia intermedia and Angophora costata recorded as
associate to minor subsidiary canopy species.
Mid Stratum (height to 7 m; projected foliage cover to
83%)
Moderately dense sub-canopy dominated by Banksia
serrata and Banksia aemula. Dense heathy shrub stratum
dominated by Acacia ulicifolia, Eriostemon australasius,
Boronia pinnata, Zieria laxiflora, Persoonia linearis,
Tetratheca ericifolia, Aotus ericoides, Gompholobium
latifolium, Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp.
cismontanum, Leucopogon lanceolatus var gracilis,
Dillwynia retorta, Dillwynia floribunda, Acacia brownei,
Bossiaea heterophylla, Monotoca elliptica, Brachyloma
daphnoides, Leucopogon ericoides, Leucopogon virgatus,
Acacia suaveolens, Acacia quadrilateralis, Isopogon
anemonifolius, Banksia oblongifolia, Conospermum
taxifolium, Leucopogon appressus, Persoonia katerae,
Actinotus helianthi, Styphelia sp., Hibbertia obtusifolia,
Leptospermum trinervium.
Lower (Ground) Stratum (height to 1.0 m; projected
foliage cover to 76%)
Dense groundcover dominated by grasses, sedges and
sub shrubs Euryomyrtus ramossisima subsp. ramossisima,
Lepyrodia scariosa, Leptocarpus tenax, Hypolaena fastigata,
Caustis recurvata var recurvata, Lomandra filiformis subsp
filiformis, Platysace ericoides, Monotoca scoparia, Pteridium
esculentum, Lomandra longifolia subsp. longifolia,
Petrophile pulchella.
Rare Associates: A. simulans co-occurs with the
regionally rare shrubs, Acacia quadrilateralis and
Persoonia katerae.
Life history/Ecology
Growth Form – small tree to 4 metres in height.
Vegetative spread – Unlikely.
Lifespan – no data available.
Primary juvenile period (plant age at first flowering)
– no data available but likely to be between 3-9 years
based on other related Allocasuarina taxa.
Flowers – Male and female flowers on different
plants. Flowering period March-June. Likely wind
pollinated.
Seed storage, dispersal and germination cue – Thought
to be serotinous (temporary seedbank on plant) with
seed release following fire; unlikely to have a persistent
soil seedbank. Winged seed (samara) thought to be
wind dispersed.
34
Fire response – Reported to be a facultative
resprouter. That is, plants can both die following fire
and release seed in canopy stored cones while others
have been shown to resprout from the basal stem
(Griffith and Wilson 1997).
Population Size – population in the low hundreds
estimated by the author on the Nabiac Sandbeds based
on surveys in suitable dry heathland habitats.
Unconfirmed number recorded by Steve Griffith in
Booti Booti National Park (not a large population based
on the author’s observations).
Hybrids - Yes. Reported A. simulans x A. defungens
on Wallis Island, Forster and Limeburners Creek
Nature Reserve (April 1997 records). A. defungens
typically occurs in Intermediate Dry Heathland where
the water table is a bit higher than in pure Dry
Heathland. A close inspection of the branchlets,
flowers/cones and growth form is necessary to see if a
specimen holds any intermediate characteristics
between the two taxa. The Botany Desk will feature
Allocasuarina defungens in a future newsletter issue.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (TSC and EPBC
Acts); ROTAP 2VCa.
References:
1. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002)
NSW Flora Fire Response Database version 1.3a
December 2002.
2. Griffith and Wilson (1997) Plants of Coastal
Heathlands In Northern NSW. Botany Department,
University of New England, Armidale.
Narrow leaved Red Gum
(Eucalyptus seeana)
Description
A medium sized tree up to about 12 metres height with
a spreading habit. Bark is smooth, cream with dark
grey, rust or grey green mottling. Juvenile leaves are
narrow (narrow lanceolate), pendulous, about 1cm
wide and up to 10 cm long (juveniles leaves on the
often co-occurring E. tereticornis are usually broad
lanceolate to ovate). Adult leaves are also narrow
lanceolate, 1-2 cm wide and
10-20 cm long. Buds pedicellate; calyptra horn-shaped.
Inflorescence an auxillary umbel which is 7-11
flowered. Fruit is pedicellate, hemispherical, 4-7mm
diameter, disc ascending steeply (ie. almost vertically)
and does not smoothly grade to the 4 exserted valves
(as does E. tereticornis).
Occurrence in the Taree LGA
Generally restricted to alluvial soils (eg. clay loams) on
the floodplain of the Dawson River north of Taree on
the NSW mid north coast. The species occurs on
alluvial flats that are subject to episodic flooding for
LEFT: A.simulans (macro shot of teeth and angled ridges
along the branchlets). Note darkened teeth apices and
slightly overlapping teeth bases. BELOW: A. simulans
(typical woody cone shapes)
35
short durations, situated marginally upslope from
permanently inundated Swamp Forests. Floristics and
vegetative structure of habitat types are detailed below
and are based on field surveys undertaken by the
author in recent years in Brimbin Nature Reserve and
on other publicly held lands at Brimbin.
Known Habitat Type in Taree LGA
‘Moist’ Sclerophyll Forest (transition between Dry
and Wet Sclerophyll Forest)
Floristics and Structure:
Upper Stratum (height to 15 m; projected foliage
cover to 53%)
E. seeana occurs in association with a floristically
variable canopy including Eucalyptus propinqua,
Eucalyptus microcorys, Eucalyptus siderophloia, Eucalyptus
eugenioides, Eucalyptus carnea, Angophora floribunda,
Corymbia intermedia.
Mid Stratum (height to 8 m; projected foliage cover to
65%)
Moderately dense to dense small tree/shrub stratum
dominated by a mix of sclerophyllous and dry
rainforest taxa, including Allocasuarina littoralis,
Duboisia myoporoides, Melaleuca nodosa, Acacia leiocalyx x
concurrens intermediate, Breynia oblongifolia, Acacia
ulicifolia, Ozothamnus diosmifolius, Notelaea longifolia
forma intermedia, Alphitonia excelsa, Glochidion ferdinandi
var ferdinandi, Jacksonia scoparia, Pultenaea villosa,
Melaleuca styphelioides, Clerodendrum tomentosum, Melia
azedarach, Myrsine variabilis, Dodonea triquetra, Persoonia
linearis, Exocarpos cupressiformis, Acronychia oblongifolia.
Lower (Ground) Stratum (height to 1.5 m; projected
foliage cover to 90%)
Sparse to dense groundcover dominated by grasses,
graminoids, forbs, ferns and sub shrubs including
Cheilanthes sieberi subsp sieberi, Entolasia marginata,
Aristida vagans, Echinopogon caespitosus var caespitosus,
Imperata cylindrica var major, Panicum simile, Leucopogon
juniperinus, Brachyscome sp., Pseuderanthemum variabile,
Oplismenus imbecillis, Lagenifera gracilis, Lomandra
filiformis subsp filiformis, Lomandra multiflora subsp.
multiflora, Morinda jasminoides, Pratia purpurascens,
Pandorea pandorana, Galium liratum, Lomandra longifolia
subsp. longifolia, Brunoniella australis, Desmodium gunnii,
Digitaria parviflora, Dianella caerulea, Ottochloa gracillima,
Lepidosperma laterale, Oxalis perennans, , Hibbertia
obtusifolia, Dichondra repens, Gahnia aspera, Cheilanthes
sieberi, Gonocarpus teucrioides, Pteridium esculentum,
Cymbopogon refractus, Centella asiatica, Dichondra repens,
Solanum prinophyllum.
Climbers and twiners (2 or more strata)
Parsonsia straminea, Glycine microphylla, Hardenbergia
violacea, Billardiera scandens, Geitonoplesium cymosum,
Passiflora herbertiana subsp herbertiana, Clematis aristata
Epiphytes
Dendrobium linguiforme
Weeds
Lantana camara
Life history/Ecology
Growth Form – medium sized tree to 15 metres
in height.
Vegetative spread – No.
Lifespan – some specimens known to be
between 50-100 years.
Primary juvenile period (plant age at first
flowering) – no data available.
Flowers – bisexual. Flowering period November
-December. Pollinated by insects, Grey headed
Flying Fox.
Seed storage, dispersal and germination cue –
Unlikely to have a persistent soil seedbank.
Thought to be wind dispersed.
Fire response – Thought to resprout by
epicormic buds. Lignotuber?
Population Size – Small areal extents generally
restricted to floodplain habitats on the lower
36
and middle reaches of the Dawson River
corresponding to a small population size in the
low hundreds.
Hybrids – E.seeana occurs just downslope from
the slightly drier dry sclerophyll forests that
support the closely related Eucalyptus
tereticornis and thus intermediates between the
2 taxa are possible but have not been recorded
by the author to date.
Conservation Status – Listed as an Endangered
Population in the Taree LGA. The vegetation type or
habitat that the species forms part of, contains elements
of the Subtropical Coastal Floodplain Forest EEC (TSC
Act). In general, Lowland Redgum Forests on the NSW
North Coast are considered poorly reserved and have
been largely cleared for agriculture and development
(author’s pers. obs.).
Equivalent Vegetation Type - Forest Type 93
(Forestry Commission of NSW 1989).
Contributions to the
Newsletter, Volume 32
Contributions to the next newsletter should be
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15th of January 2014.
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37
Photo Competition Entries
Right: A Greater Glider, one of eleven seen over 300m section of track to the
Pinnacles Lookout, Coolah Tops NP 16th April 2013 (photo courtesy of Chris
Charles).
Below Centre: Litoria aurea female from the Port Kembla Population (photo
courtesy of Kylie Reed)
Below Left: Green Tree Frog (photo courtesy of Laura Worthington).
Left: Flame Robin, Tumut, NSW.
(photo courtesy of Steve Sass).
Right: Eastern Bearded Dragon,
Gunning, NSW (photo courtesy of
Steve Sass).
Below Left: Bandy Bandy (photo
courtesy of Laura Worthington).
Below Right: Oedura lesueurii (photo
courtesy of Laura Worthington).
38
Photo Competition Entries
Below Centre: Pogona barbata taken near Coppabella, QLD (photo courtesy of Kurtis
Lindsay). Below Left: A Spotted Bowerbird attending to its bower, Bourke, NSW (photo
courtesy of Steve Sass).
Left: Runner Up. Ocellated Velvet Gecko taken near
Coppabella, QLD (photo courtesy of Kurtis Lindsay).
Above: Calling Litoria littlejohni male within the Sydney
Metropolitan Catchment (photo courtesy of Kylie Reed).
Below Right: Powerful Owl (photo courtesy of Leslie
Engel).
